Don't Let The Stars Get You Down
by eshadlow
Summary: Booth attempts to cheer Bones up during a difficult case. Fluffy, B/B friendship one-shot.


Title: Don't Let The Stars Get You Down

Pairing: None, B/B friendship

Rating: G

Spoilers: Nothing specific

Summary: Booth attempts to cheer Bones up during a difficult case.

Author's Note: Not beta-ed, which may be a mistake. I wrote this mostly to make people smile, so I hope I succeed. Dedicated to Jude because she needs some cheer and she's awesome. This fandom is eating my brain. I haven't written 2 fics in a week in almost 8 years.

* * *

The air in the car between then is silent – not unpleasantly so - but Booth can detect an air of sadness about it. He glances away from the road for a moment at his partner, sitting as always in the passenger seat, her attention seemingly focused on the passing Virginia scenery. This had been a tough case for her, he knows. It has been tough on him also; the body of a young college girl found raped and murdered 3 years after the fact. They had been able to trace the crime scene back to a frat house at her school but as most of the inhabitants there today hadn't even been students 3 years ago, they were for a while at a loose end suspect wise.

Bones had been very disapproving of the entire fraternity/sorority experience, quite determined that the fraternity's culture of objectifying women had lead to the murder of Rebecca Andrews. And now, as they find themselves headed back to DC without an arrest or even a decent idea of whom their murderer could be it seems she is letting their failure to catch a culprit get to her.

"You ok Bones?" he asks, his attention flicking between the road to her.

She nods absent mindedly before replying with a perfunctory, "Yes Booth, I'm fine."

Recognizing that she doesn't want to talk he racks his brain for a way to get her to relax, to smile, to forget about the young girl whom they have as yet been able to achieve justice for. After all, they have a little under 2 hours before they reach DC and he knows that if her over-active brain is left unchecked for too long, she'll end up making herself nuts. His fingers drum on the steering wheel as he thinks before finally inspiration hits and he reaches over to the stereo. Ejecting and re-inserting the current CD, he presses 'random' before turning the volume up a little and allowing the notes to fill the car.

The unusually distinctive piano notes cause Brennan to turn her head toward the stereo, curiously. Track one, Booth realizes, a great place to start.

_I wanna talk to you/The last time we talked Mr Smith you reduced me to tears. I assure you it won't happen again._

"What is this?" Her voice is curious.

Booth smiles at her with a slightly know-out-all quality that he knows will irritate her just a little. "This, dear Bones, is Mika." He explains, hand gesturing in the direction of the CD player. "And I can almost guarantee you that you can not listen to this album without getting a smile on your face."

Brennan seems to absorb the music for a moment before commenting, "He sounds like Freddie Mercury."

"He does," Booth agrees, "I'm surprised you know who that is."

The look that comes in his direction is nothing short of annoyed. "Really, Booth. I happen to have a well-rounded and eclectic taste in music. So yes, I know who Queen are."

His plan to cheer her up is rapidly failing as she slumps back against her seat, apparently offended by his comment. It takes Booth a few moments to realize she hasn't actually taken any true offence. Instead, she is still caught up in her thoughts about their inability as yet to solve the case at hand; she's just using his comments as an excuse to brood.

Sighing ever so slightly Booth returns his gaze to the road. He knows Bones well enough by now to understand what she is feeling and he wants, more than anything, to stop her feeling guilty for their lack of success so far. "Bones," he finally says, his voice soft enough that she turns to look at him, recognizing his attempt at comfort. "We're going to get this guy, you know we will. Rebecca Andrews will have the justice she deserves."

For a moment she doesn't react but then a small smile graces her face. "I hope so Booth, I really do." They settle back into silence, the upbeat piano and synthesizer beats from the CD the only noise between them. However, the atmosphere is lighter now, more relaxed and Booth knows that any tension or stress they were dealing with is dissipated.

"You want to grab some dinner at Wong Foo's when we get back?" Booth asks her, steering the conversation and the mood back to the comfortable and the familiar.

Bones nods without looking at him, her gaze still fixed on the passing scenery, and he smiles, satisfied that she really is ok. The track on the CD fades out and the player randomizes to a new song. Booth's smile splits across his entire face as he chuckles slightly, recognizing the opening lyrics.

_Well it was all going accordingly to plan/Then Billy Brown fell in love with another man_

Brennan's sudden and startled laughter echoes around the space inside the car, causing Booth to turn to her, his own smile still firmly in place. Eyes shining with amusement she turns to him and asks, "Is this really an appropriate subject for a song?"

"Bones, get with the times," he tells her with a chuckle. "Just about anything is an appropriate subject for a song these days."

Brennan nods, still smiling. 'You were right though." Booth looks at her curiously. He's always a little dubious when she tells him he was right about something. "I couldn't listen to the CD without smiling."

Booth says nothing in return, merely nods slightly and briefly pats her knee in a gesture of friendship. "Booth," her voice is softer now and he glances briefly at her, expectantly. "Thank you for making me smile."

The hand on her knee moves to her shoulder and he squeezes gently, trying to convey with the simple touch just how much he would do to make her smile. "Anytime, Bones." He tells her. "Anytime."

* * *

I wrote this in my head whilst cleaning floors and (obviously) listening to Mika. Lyrics are from 'Grace Kelly' and 'Billy Brown'. 


End file.
